Participation of non-coding RNAs in plant organellar biogenesis

The biogenesis of plant mitochondria and plastids is a multistep process that depends on the expression of both organellar and nuclear genes. A growing body of evidence suggest that the indispensable coordination between different steps of this process may be gained by the participation of non-coding RNAs. A plethora of non-coding RNAs of diverse length, both intraorganellar ones as well as encoded by the nuclear genome (including microRNAs and short interfering RNAs) were also suggested to play a role in stress response by regulating the expression levels of targeted genes important for the organellar biogenesis. Selected aspects of current interest, regarding the regulation of plant mitochondrial and plastid gene expression by diverse non-coding RNAs also under abiotic stress conditions, were highlighted.

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Transcription initiation as a control point in plastid gene expression

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms ◽

10.1016/j.bbagrm.2021.194689 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1864 (3) ◽

pp. 194689

Author(s):

Sujith Puthiyaveetil ◽

Steven D. McKenzie ◽

Gilbert E. Kayanja ◽

Iskander M. Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Transcription Initiation ◽

Control Point ◽

Plastid Gene ◽

Plastid Gene Expression

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Comprehensive Analysis of Plastid Gene Expression During Fruit Development and Ripening of Kiwifruit

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1098991/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Qiqi Chen ◽

Pan Shen ◽

Ralph Bock ◽

Shengchun Li ◽

Jiang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Rna Editing ◽

Fruit Development ◽

Oral Vaccine ◽

Genetic System ◽

Comprehensive Analysis ◽

Protein Accumulation ◽

Plastid Gene ◽

Plastid Gene Expression ◽

High Level

Abstract A serious limitation in the application of plastid biotechnology is the low-level expression of transgene in non-green plastids like chromoplasts compared with photosynthetically active chloroplasts. Unlike other fruits, not all chloroplasts are transformed into chromoplast during ripening of red-fleshed kiwifruit ( Actinidia chinensis vs Hongyang) fruits, which may make kiwifruit as an ideal horticultural plant for oral vaccine production by plastid engineering. To identify cis -elements potentially triggering high-level transgene expression in edible tissues of the ‘Hongyang’ kiwifruit, here we report a comprehensive analysis of kiwifruit plastid gene transcription in the green leaves and fruits at three different developing stages. While transcripts of a few photosynthesis-related genes and most genetic system genes were substantially upregulated in green fruits compared with leaves, nearly all plastid genes were significantly downregulated at the RNA level during fruit development. Expression of a few genes remained unchanged, including psbA , the gene encoding the D1 polypeptide of photosystem II. However, PsbA protein accumulation decreased continuously during chloroplast-to-chromoplast differentiation. Analysis of post-transcriptional steps in mRNA maturation, including intron splicing and RNA editing, revealed that splicing and editing may contribute to regulating plastid gene expression. Altogether, 40 RNA editing sites were verified, and five of them were newly discovered. Taken together, this study has generated a valuable resource for the analysis of plastid gene expression, and provides cis -elements for future efforts to engineer the plastid genome of kiwifruit.

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